Prediabetes warning: Do the work to get blood glucose levels under control

Amy LeapPocono Record Writer

Wednesday

May 4, 2016 at 8:58 PMMay 4, 2016 at 8:58 PM

It's true we are what we eat, including the 156 pounds of sugar people consume every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Last year, the American Diabetes Association reported that 86 million Americans, age 20 years or older, were diagnosed with prediabetes.

"Prediabetes is a condition where blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but not high enough to be diagnosed as Type 2 diabetes," said Robin Gayle, a diabetes educator for St. Luke's University and Health Network, Bethlehem.

If you have prediabetes, your body becomes insulin resistant and your cells no longer respond to insulin as they should. Without intervention, the condition will likely develop into Type 2 diabetes, a chronic disease that will increase the risk for heart attack, stroke, blindness and kidney disease, she said.

Symptoms

There are no clear symptoms of prediabetes, so you may have it and not know it until you actually have Type 2 diabetes.

Some people with prediabetes may have some of the symptoms of diabetes that include frequent urination, extreme fatigue, blurry vision or slow healing cuts and bruises. Other common symptoms are tingling, pain or numbness in the hands and feet, according to the CDC.

Doctors sometimes refer to prediabetes as impaired glucose tolerance or impaired fasting glucose, depending on what test was used when it was detected.

This condition puts you at a higher risk for developing Type 2 diabetes as well as cardiovascular disease, said Ann Albright, director of the Division of Diabetes Translation at the CDC.

Who is at risk?

Men are more likely than women to have prediabetes.

Ignoring the diagnosis and not making lifestyle changes to improve their health, 14 to 30 percent of the people diagnosed with prediabetes will become Type 2 diabetics.

Being overweight, not eating healthy and not getting enough exercise along with the diagnoses of prediabetes, puts people at risk for other serious health problems, including heart disease and stroke, according to Gayle.

Studies done by the CDC and the American Diabetes Association showed overweight adults with a body mass of 25 kilograms, or slightly over 55 pounds, are significantly at a higher risk for developing prediabetes. People with a family history of diabetes are also at a higher risk.

The association recommends being checked for Type 2 diabetes every one to two years if you have been diagnosed with prediabetes or if you have a family history of diabetes.

Prediabetes diagnosis

Several different types of tests can diagnose prediabetes and a full-blown diabetic, according the American Diabetes Association.

One test often used is a glycated hemoglobin test, also known as HbA1c or A1c. This test is able to provide information on the person's average blood sugar levels from the past two to three months. It usually is done with a small drop of blood from a finger stick or as part of having blood taken in the doctor’s office, hospital or laboratory.

Another test often done is a fasting plasma glucose test to measure a person’s blood glucose level after fasting for eight hours. In most cases, the test is done in the morning. If a test shows positive for prediabetes, a second test should be taken on a different day to confirm the diagnosis.

Normal fasting levels of blood glucose should be less than 5.7 percent, prediabetes is indicated with a blood glucose level of 5.7 percent to 5.4 percent and full-blown diabetes is a blood glucose level 6.5 percent and higher.

Be proactive

Being diagnosed with prediabetes is serious, but it doesn't have to mean you will definitely get diabetes. There is still time to turn things around, but you need to commit to making changes in your lifestyle, as suggested by the late Patti Geil in her book "What Do I Eat Now?"

Geil, who was a dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator, wrote: "Changing your eating habits and making healthy food choices and controlling portions, as well as exercise, must be a priority."

In one study, people who had prediabetes and lost 5 to 7 percent of their body weight — 10 to 14 pounds for someone who weighs 200 pounds— cuts their chances of getting diabetes by 58 percent," according to Geil.

See your doctor at least every three months to monitor your progress and see if any other lifestyle changes are needed to turn your prediabetes diagnosis around, advises the American Diabetes Association.

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